Protocol Article Format

Title

The title should be a clear description of the topic of the research and the methods and setting used for the study. It should not exceed 12 words, and should not be in the form of a question. Dividing the title into two clauses may be helpful, for example 'Prevalence of problem gambling in young people: cross-sectional study in general practice'
 

Authors

Include the full names, institutional addresses, and qualifications for all authors. The e-mail address of the corresponding author should also be included. If you put your name to an article you must fulfil the standard requirements for authorship.
 

Abstract

All research articles should have a structured abstract of no more than 250 words. This should be set out with the following headings: Background, Aim, Design & setting, Method, and Conclusion. The conclusion should set out the potential conclusion and implication of the planned work.
 

Keywords

You can include up to six keywords, a minimum of three of which should be MeSH headings [link]. Ensure that primary health care, family practice, or general practice are included where appropriate.               

How this fits in

Summarise, in no more than four short sentences, what was previously known or believed on the topic and what this piece of research will add, particularly focusing on the relevance to clinicians.

Main text

We recommend the following subheadings:
  • Introduction
  • Method This section should include a description of setting, participants, intervention, instruments that will be used to measure outcomes, statistical tests and software for the proposed analysis, stating the version number. It should also include any arrangements for data oversight.
  • Discussion Include a summary in which a concise statement highlights the novelty and importance of the proposed study. Describe the potential strengths and limitations of the work, and discuss the implications for research and/or practice
 

Tables and Figures

Up to a total of three tables or figures are permitted in protocol submissions. Close attention should be paid to ensure clear presentation of data. This will normally mean keeping the data in each table (and the number of tables) to the minimum possible. A rough guide would be that each table should include no more than six columns and 12 rows, with a maximum of 60 words per row. Tables exceeding these parameters or with complex layouts will be published as Supplementary data instead.
 

Supplementary data

Supplementary data may include additional figures, materials and methods, tables, or other items that add to the topic of the article but cannot be included within the body of the article. Authors must include the supplementary data when submitting the article and its revised versions. Please upload your Supplementary data as a single PDF and label Tables, Figures, and Boxes (for non-numerical data) with an S; for example, Table S1, Figure S1, Box S1, etc. Please cite these in the main text as Supplementary Table 1, Supplementary Box 1, Supplementary Figure 1, etc. Please note, supplementary material will not be copyedited or typeset so will be published as supplied.
 

Additional information

At the end of the text and before the references we ask authors to report:

  • Funding: name of funding body with reference number where appropriate
  • Ethical approval: body giving ethics approval with reference number where appropriate
  • Competing interests
  • Acknowledgements
 
Authors should include acknowledgements of all those who have helped with and contributed to the study (including patients) who are not authors of the article. Individuals should only be acknowledged with their express permission.
 
References
These are presented in Vancouver style, with standard NLM title abbreviations for journals. If there are more than six authors, list the first three authors followed by “et al.”
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